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Today, I woke up late, turned on my cellphone’s screen, and saw six new emails. I touched my fingerprint to the display, unlocked the phone, and briefly checked the messages. The contents and senders weren’t all that important though. What was striking, in this brief moment, was what I realized: Google is the Internet.

We’ve been living with the Internet as we know it for a couple decades now. Technology companies have come and gone, but the behemoths have grown to epic proportions. Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have all become some of the largest companies in the world. But there’s a distinct difference between those other names and Google (or, Alphabet, as it’s now called).

The company launched on August 18, 2004 on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange as GOOG. The four-letter ticker symbol was met with great fanfare and excitement. People wanted in on this inventive company that was revolutionizing search, ads, and online video.

Founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, penned an IPO letter before the launch of the stock. They detailed how Google would be different from all the rest. Shareholders wouldn’t be given special privileges and likely wouldn’t benefit from dividends (any time soon). Their votes wouldn’t matter, as control of the company would steadfastly be kept with those in leadership. And the stock could trade wildly, as profits weren’t of utmost importance. Page and Brin wanted to, first and foremost, build great technologies.

This focus on innovation over quarterly profit gains was a winning combination. Alphabet now sits as the second largest market capitalization — to Apple — in America. From a scrappy startup to tens of thousands of employees and billions in profits, this has been a meteoric rise. But it hasn’t always been an easy ride.

Every step they took, they were met with scrutiny. Countless antitrust lawsuits suggest Google is being monopolistic or manipulating search results in their own favor. There are accusations that the company doesn’t respect user’s privacy, and can be easily compelled to hand over what they know to information-hungry government surveillance organizations. They’ve been sued for driving around neighborhoods scanning people’s wi-fi networks and locations, too.

Despite these challenges, their efforts don’t seem to be slowing. The company is creating new hubs around the country. Heck, just north of where I used to live in Colorado they’re building an extensive mini-campus for Googlers! Lest you think construction and new-hires are their only areas of growth, think again. Alphabet is branching into artificial intelligence in mind-bending ways, too. The team, aptly named Google Brain, is leading the charge to develop machines that think for themselves, learn, and become smarter. Right now, they’re capable of beating chess and go champions, moving objects more efficiently, and finding answers more rapidly. In time, it’s easy to see these technologies testing humans’ capabilities.

Amidst this rapid ascendency into artificial intelligence and machine learning is also a company with more earthly ambitions: storing the world’s data. When I get on my smartphone or computer, check my emails in Inbox by Gmail, type out a note about research in Google Drive, write new appointments in Google Calendar, conduct a Google Search to find the 2004 Founders’ IPO Letter for this article, check a stock price on Google Finance (GOOG is at $782 right now), and then wrap this all up by looking at photos from last week on Google Photos, Google is at the heart of it.

Importantly, amidst this growth is an important consideration: most everything is free. For the frugal people that follow my blog, I wouldn’t be surprised if you embraced this cost-effective solution as I do. If you use other technologies, you’ll be spending a small fortune in comparison to Google’s products. Want to get an Apple iPhone? It’ll cost you $600-800 off contract. Google’s smartphones cost about $300-400 less. Want to use a word processor? Microsoft’s will cost you about $10 per month for access. Google’s is free. Interested in getting a new laptop? A good Mac or PC could run you $800-1000. Google’s Chromebooks are about $200-500.

Yes, people will argue that you’re sacrificing your privacy. Some say, “If you use Google, you’re the product because they sell your data to advertisers!” While factually blurry, the gist is true. We’re exchanging this right to services (like the Google Doc I’m typing this into) for our data and privacy. Contrary to popular belief, no individual advertiser has my data; instead, Google aggregates the world’s data for its advertisers.

The cost savings that Google has handed to us has led to an information revolution. Schools can afford to reduce technology costs, while increasing students’ access to the Internet and productivity tools. If we want an answer to Pythagorean theorem, we just Google it. Want to take a free, online course? Google it and start watching the YouTube videos. The answers are there for the taking. Information has been democratized and it’s not because of a government agency or hardware manufacturer. It’s this one software and search company.

So here we are, with Google as the Internet. It’s everything we interact with and rely on to get things done; at least, for much of us. You might be thinking I love this progression, advancement, and technological prowess. But to be honest, I’m concerned.

Here we are in the 21st century, and one company seems to be leading everything. If there’s real competition, they either build their own competitor or swallow it up through acquisitions. People are getting rich — wealth is spilling into their coffers. Meanwhile, we place our trust, data, and reliance on this one company to handle it all.

We don’t get to vote on Google’s proceedings. They aren’t a government agency. What they choose to do with our data is their decision. And even if we used tools like Google Takeout to take everything off their servers, we’d probably end up using Google Search, YouTube, and other Google services to get through our day. We’re stuck with this Internet leader — for better and for possibly worse.

As much as I love the company and everything they’ve done to make the Internet more affordable to everyone, I wonder what it might look like if something failed, new leadership took over that wasn’t friendly to users, or if governments around the world started demanding even more from Google’s servers. Right now, Google is too big to fail. And just like banks, that’s a frightening proposition — no matter the cost savings.

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I miss my grandmother. She brings tears to my eyes when I think back on our time together. She would’ve turned 98 last weekend. And while she lived a good, long life, she’s been dead for about eight years.

Sometimes I wonder what she’d say to me — what she’d think of my academic endeavors, writing, friends, and loves.

Would she be proud of her grandson? Would I be living up to her expectations? Would she understand how much I miss her?

There are times when I stare at an old photo of the two of us. There she is, in her pearl earrings — a gem from another generation. She was a product of a time when women demanded civil liberties and spoke out bravely. Individually, she was highly educated, musically gifted, crafted an alarmingly kind, talented group of friends. She attracted her equals. I admired her.

But now, as I reflect on these eight years, I long for a video, text, or email between us. Something I can click play on.

There is nothing. I can’t find any artifact nor proof of our love and affection — our bond. We only have a handful of progressively fading photographs. Burned, stained from the sun, time is making us increasingly more sepia and prone to rosy retrospection.

Towards the latter years of her life, I grabbed whatever technology I had — at the time, a Motorola Razr — and pointed the “camera” her way. She didn’t mind my intrusion. She didn’t “get” that there was a video camera on the phone. I held it up as she talked to one of her dear friends.

She was talking about me and said into the phone, “Yes, Sam’s going to Colorado University.” I chimed in, like I always had to as her memory waned, “No Francie, Colorado State University.” She quickly relayed that correction.

A few more seconds passed and I turned off the camera. Somehow I knew this would be one of the most important, last moments with her. Her hospice treatments had accelerated. She was becoming weaker, but her hands gripped firm with mine until the end. She’d pass away shortly after this call.

To have that file meant the video was mine. I’d have it as long as I’d like it. A rare glimpse, however distorted and pixelated that would take me back.

Her voice. Her demeanor. Her playfulness. For a few seconds.

It’d have to do. There wasn’t much else to cling and hold.

Maybe it was her birthday, or maybe it was my addiction to nostalgia; whatever it was, I looked for the clip the other day. I desperately wanted to relive it. To touch through time. To bridge the gap between life and death. To see the pixels dance before my eyes and make me feel… there.

Amidst gigabytes of photos and videos on my computer, the little clip was gone. I rummaged through flash drives, hard drives, cloud storage — nothing. There was no file to be found.

It was a foreign feeling — loss — amidst this digital era. We live in a time of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox. Data costs little to nothing. And the world seems settled on one major goal: saving and storing your life for eternity.

Today, it’s not uncommon for me to send hundreds of texts, emails, and tweets in a day between friends and family — many of which include photos and videos.

I’m curious what Francie would think of these advancements. As I get older, the data seems to have a redundancy and staying power — beyond anything we could’ve imagined 10 years ago. She died before we started speaking to our phones, searching for rashes on WebMD, and sharing our meals over Facebook.

A file created today may well live beyond my lifetime, and maybe even my children’s (if I’m lucky enough to have them some day). What of these things would be passed onto future generations?

There’s that photo of me crossing the marathon finish line in Houston. There’s that kiss with my love in Colombia. There’s that random photo of my cousin and I when we were four years old — grinning from ear to ear. There’s that video tour of my old, Siberian-prison inspired apartment.

They’ll outlive me.

Storage is becoming cheaper every day. Companies are propositioning themselves to be the keeper of all your photos and videos, forever — just look at Google Photos. They’re saying they have the ultimate solution. Unlike my missing video of Francie, photos and videos are now saved and backed up; then, replicated across data centers across the globe. No flood, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, or mudslide can touch these memories. No user or device error can stop us now.

Maybe she belongs in the past, but she’d be here so much more amidst this technology. I could share a video of Francie to my partner. And I could connect with the memories that my mind slowly lets drift. Nothing would pass the intense scrutiny and analysis of today’s servers. The computers might serve the memories to me when I needed them most.

But what happens now? What will happen to our memories as they pass from generation to generation in this increasingly connected and backed up society? What will companies keep of us? What will our loved ones hold on to? What will they look to for connection with their pasts?

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Ensuring your indebted future

Since my freshman year of college nine years ago, every university I’ve stepped foot on has been “under construction.” With streets closed, detours made, and buildings built to even greater heights, trillions are being spent across the country on “improvements.”

This hyper-development has led to increased tuition and fees for everyday students, but amidst this “progress” sits an all-too-quiet darkness: $1.2 trillion in student loan debt.

The construction, administrator salaries, and student fees (i.e., recreational centers) have all contributed to greater debts. Simultaneously, reduced state-based funding for tuition has saddled students with ever-growing amounts.

Almost every state — despite emphasizing the importance of educations — have cut, cut, cut. They’ve reduced burdens on taxpayers at the cost of individual college students.

Without money, the gap widens

We’ve pushed students into this bind. We’ve enabled this disempowerment and devolution. Now, students must take out student loans or ask wealthy parents. If the latter doesn’t exist, few options remain.

A vacuum has resulted. Private companies and universities have aimed to remedy the gap with digital universities and massive open online courses (MOOCs). These serve increasing populations of students looking for access to education — wherever it can be found. But these “solutions” do not provide the strength and privilege in an in-person education.

Maybe Udacity and MOOCs are incredible inventions, but would we even consider these options if educations were afforded to more people? Communication and engagement with the material, other students, and professors is weaker online.

Sitting in a seat, asking questions, and being an engaged student in a classroom still wins out. While online options might provide help to many, most people don’t learn very well watching a screen for hours on end.

Should student debt be an individual responsibility?

In America, we tend to value individual freedom over social good. The costs are simple: we don’t have a universal health system, paid family leave, or guaranteed vacation days with all employers. In this case, freedom means individual debt, burden, and struggle.

We believe that K-12 years should be taxpayer funded, and then suddenly stop. College educations shift to individual responsibility, as if it’s an optional concept in today’s economy.

Perhaps we cannot make sweeping changes to all these social programs. But maybe we can continue to strengthen the value of education as a right?

Where college education is a right

Thankfully, there’s another way. Much of Europe already has debt-free college educations for their people. For them, K-12 is just the start if you care to pursue additional education.

For some countries, this philosophy of education goes beyond their native-born populace and artificial borders. The University of Ljubljana in Slovenia provides free education to both foreign and native students. Americans have even gone there to dodge the debt in the States.

Americans could provide affordable educations to the masses. I’m a believer in this philosophy. People deserve quality educations in the richest country in the world. And citizens (at very least) could greatly benefit from this true access.

Students wouldn’t be cash strapped upon graduation. They’d buy homes, cars, and support your job and mine.

Instead, they’re forced to pay banks near-endless amounts of interest for decades and have nothing to show for it.

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Search for how to save money at Starbucks, and you’ll find millions of results. People love finding ways to cut their costs at a place they love. Some go to Starbucks to meet friends or to grab a quick pick-me-up at lunch. And for many, it’s a daily habit: wake up, grab a coffee, and drive to work. The company has carefully crafted a strategy of home, work, and Starbucks. Their goal is to have you spending significant amount of time at their retail stores.

Personally, I have a couple cups of coffee each day. Sometimes they’re from Starbucks, and sometimes they’re not. As a frugal person, it’s hard to see any purchased coffee as a thrifty choice. It’s not. To brew a pot of coffee might cost $.40-.50. If you get a tall coffee at Starbucks, that’ll set you back about $1.89 (and that’s just for a plain coffee). Of course, the frugal choice is staying home, but sometimes I like going out and grabbing one on the go. Sometimes there’s just something wonderful about working in a coffee house.

Regardless, my ultimate goal is to save every dollar and dime I can no matter the place. People tend to criticize Starbucks for being “too expensive,” but a cup of coffee is pretty reasonably priced. If I go anywhere else in town, I’ll be looking at about $2 or more for the same size.

1. Start with a cash back card (6% savings)

To achieve this level of savings, you must start with a cash back credit card. Personally, I use the Blue Cash Preferred card from American Express. This card is designed to give you 6% at grocery stores, 3% for gas, and 1% for everything else. I only use the card for grocery and gas purchases (bonus tip: the Amex card even works at Aldi to save me an additional 6% on groceries).

Now, you might be wondering how Starbucks could ever be considered a grocery store. How could someone actually net 6%? The answer takes a couple more steps to understand. Stick with me.

At a local grocery store, look at their gift cards aisle. If they’re like mine, you’ll find tons of options from Amazon, Chilis, and even Starbucks. But you don’t want to buy a Starbucks gift card yet; albeit, that’d net you a cool 6% rapidly. Instead, we need to buy an eBay gift card.

After buying an eBay card, search on their website for a Starbucks gift card. You’ll find tons of offerings. A good rule of thumb is 10% — that’s the expected discount off the face value of the card. This process takes time. To purchase an eBay gift card, then a Starbucks gift card, and wait for it to arrive at your home might take a couple weeks. For me, it’s worth it because I know I’ll eventually go to Starbucks again; when I do, I want to save.

3. Register for Star Rewards (5% savings)

In the last couple years since I wrote about saving at Starbucks, they changed Star Rewards. The process involved some chicanery, but the bottomline is they devalued their entire program. For every dollar spent, people earn two points. Once earned, you can buy almost anything with a reward (how about a venti fancy-frap or calorie-packed pastry?).

Based on my coffee calculations, it now takes 35 cups to get a reward. Ouch! This miniscule savings does help, though. By registering the card with an established reward account, you’ll save about 5%, conservatively.

4. Bring your own tumbler (5.3% savings)

Want to look like you just got a Starbucks and be frugal, too? Starbucks sells a reusable tumbler for $2 (and I believe it’ll count for Star Rewards as a purchase).

Order a tall coffee for $1.89, and then it becomes $1.79. Ten cents might be laughable, but over time these costs add up. By using a tumbler each time for coffee, you’ll be saving about 5.3% more. If you forget your tumbler, order a short coffee (8 oz) to save about $0.10 off a tall.

5. Take advantage of free refills (50% savings)

Most coffee places don’t offer free refills. For registered Star Rewards members, cups of coffee can be refilled for free. Now, a $1.79 cup of coffee can become $0.90. Or, $0.60 if you really are looking to get your coffee buzz on!

Even without the refills, Starbucks becomes a solid option for those looking to have a cup of coffee while out on the town, crossing the country, or just looking to get a little work done. By combining these strategies, I save over 20% every day at Starbucks.
Do you go to Starbucks? What tricks do you have to save at coffee shops?